William Bowers

WILLIAM BOWERS

205417, Private, William Bowers, 1st Battalion, Sherwood Foresters, (Notts and Derby) Regiment, formerly, 4048, then 251373, 1/6th Battalion, Manchester Regiment.

Born in 1897 at Wilmslow, son of gardener, Thomas and Annie Bowers, who are shown to be living at Church Cottages, Chelford in the 1911 census returns. William was employed as a warehouseman when he joined the forces.

He attested at Manchester, 30/10/1915. His army medical records state he was 19 years old, a man of five feet and eight inches tall weighed 7st 8lbs with a thirty three inch chest measurement. He was initially placed with the Manchester Regiment. William embarked with the Egyptian Expeditionary Force from Devonport on 30/04/1916, aboard H.T. ‘Tunisian’ and disembarked at Alexandria, 12/05/1916. His campaign here lasted until the March of 1917, he then embarked from Alexandria, 17/03/1917, destination, Europe, he disembarked at Marseilles, 20/03/1917, to join the British Expeditionary Force. William was transferred to the Sherwood Foresters, (Nottingham and Derbyshire Regiment) 04/04/1918, he was killed in action, Monday, 22 April 1918, fighting in the Somme region, aged 21 years.

Medals: 1914/15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
These medals and Williams’ last effects, were directed to be sent to his mother, who was living at Manor Cottage, Chelford, from here she moved to 31, South Street, Alderley Edge.

Private, William Bowers has no known resting place and he is commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial, Somme, France.
C.W.G.C. Ref: – Panel 52 to 54.